Final battle of SLPs goes to SLP/SA Panthers

The final "Battle of the SLPs" in North Suburban Conference girls hockey took place Saturday night at The Rec Center as Maddy Wallraff's hat trick led the Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony Panthers to a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.

The North Suburban will fold at the completion of the school year. Spring Lake Park, along with Irondale and Totino-Grace will head to the Northwest Suburban Conference and St. Louis Park will join the newly formed Metro West Conference.

Now to the game. Both teams tallied twice in the first period. The Panthers took :22 to take the early lead when Maggie Ronning got a cross slot pass from Maddy Kelly and she scored. Caitlin Monson slid the puck into the net for a two goal lead. The Orioles Eva Rose put a thorn in the Panther shut out as she scored from the right side. Molly Arntson tied the game on a goal from the right point.

St. Louis Park tied the game in the second period as Leah Schrank fed Elena Basill and she headed down the right side to score. SLP/SA would vault into the lead with three goals. The first came as it looked like Oriole goalie Peyton Stafne saved Miranda DeBoer's shot. But the referee signaled that it was a goal. Wallraff would score the next two goals. The first came when Ronning circled around the net, passed to Wallraff in the center slot and fired it into the net. the second came when she drove dowen the ice like the team bus going up Highway 65 and scored a short handed goal. Arntson would end the Panthers run with a power play goal.

The third period began when SLP/SA head coach Sandy Nelson pulled goalie Molly Sienko and replaced her with MacKensay Kelly. There would also be two more Panther goals, starting with Wallraff picking up the hat trick and ending with Gabby Luoma.

The Panthers out shot the Orioles 47-19.

SLP/SA won their fourth straight game and improved their record to 11-5-1. They will head up to Eveleth to play in the Eveleth-Gilbert Invitational January 17 and 18. St. Louis Park fell to 3-15-1 and hosts the Prior Lake Lakers Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30. It will also be Senior Night.

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Howard Luloff is a long-time PA announcer for St. Louis Park High School and Academy of Holy Angels athletics. He also enjoys baseball, football and basketball as well as '60s and '70s music. He lives in St. Louis Park, MN. You can contact Howard with your comments and questions.